The Bank Robbery that Fueled Bobby Lashley’s Quest to Become an MMA Champion

Apr 21, 2009

How a Near-Death Experience Led Ex-WWE Superstar Bobby
Lashley – Who Is Presenting the Championship Title at the Main
Event of XFC 8: “Regional Conflict” on Saturday, April 25 at
Thompson-Boling Arena – to Pursue His Dreams in the Steel Cage

“It was a day like any other,” Lashley recalled. “I was still
focused on my amateur wrestling career when I walked into my local
bank in Colorado Springs to take care of some business. And then
suddenly – directly behind my head – exploded the sound of gunfire.
It was an armed robbery and I was precisely between the gunmen and
the money. If you watch a slow motion replay of the bank’s security
cameras, you can actually see a small cloud of gun powder just
behind my head.”

The ex-WWE superstar and current MMA heavyweight prospect gazed
skyward as he remembered his near-death experience – and his
life-changing realization:

“If I had died then,” he slowly spoke, “there would’ve been so many
dreams unfulfilled. So many goals and aspirations gone forever –
dead on arrival. And that’s why I’m in the Mixed Martial Arts.
Before I die, I wanna be the heavyweight champion of the world.
That’s my dream.”

Bobby
Lashley will present the new XFC featherweight world title to
the winner of the Bruce “The Noose” Connors versus Jarrod “The Wild
Card” Card fight in the main event of XFC 8: “Regional Conflict” on
Saturday, April 25 at the 21 thousand-capacity Thompson-Boling
Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. The event will air live on national
television, exclusively on HDNet.

For Lashley, Connors and Card represent what the 250-pound,
American Top Team heavyweight prospect is working so feverishly to
achieve.

“It’s all about becoming a champion,” said Lashley. “My father
always told me that no matter what you do in life, you owe it to
yourself to the absolute best at it – to push yourself until
there’s nothing left in the tank. There’s a fine line that
separates a champion from everyone else. We all have doubts and we
all have fears, but a true champion finds a way to overcome them.
And when a champion is fully focused and fully prepared, nothing
can stop him.”

Becoming a champion is something Lashley understands well: From
1996 through 1999, Lashley wrestled at – and earned two degrees
from – Missouri Valley College, becoming a three-time NAIA national
wrestling champion and a four-time All-American. He later followed
in his father’s footsteps by joining the U.S. Army, winning a pair
of Armed Forces championships and a 2002 silver medal at the
Military World Championships.

Lashley’s eye-popping athleticism, chiseled physique and elite
wrestling pedigree landed him an opportunity with the WWE. He won
the ECW heavyweight championship twice, and perhaps most memorably,
tag-teamed with billionaire Donald Trump at Wrestlemania 23 on
April 1, 2007, helping “The Donald” shave the head of WWE chairman
Vince McMahon.

But despite achieving celebrity status – and main event
compensation – while with the WWE, something was missing.

“I still dreamed of becoming a champion and testing myself against
the very best in the world,” Lashley said. “Yeah, I know I have my
critics. I know some people think I’m crazy for leaving behind the
WWE and starting all over again in MMA, but this is my dream. And
I’m pouring my heart and soul into this sport. Believe me, I’m
gonna give it everything I’ve got.”

Which is why some in the MMA community raised their eyebrows when
Lashley appeared this past weekend at the TNA “Lockdown”
professional wrestling pay-per-view, rejoining the “sports
entertainment” profession after a yearlong absence. But according
to Lashley, his heart is still dead-set on becoming an MMA world
champion, and TNA is a means to that end.

“It’s not the kind of professional wrestling that everyone thinks,”
explained Lashley. “With the WWE, I was on the road nonstop; it was
my entire life. With TNA, I’m only working four days a month. And
with the extra income from wrestling, I can take care of my family
and afford to fully dedicate myself to my MMA training. I’m no
different than so many young fighters: I still need a day job,
because MMA training is expensive – especially when you want to
travel to different camps and learn from the top minds in the game.
And TNA has been great to work with.”

Lashley plans to travel to Las Vegas and train with one-on-one with
a top-ranked heavyweight in the UFC, although he declined to
disclose this heavyweight’s identity.

“I’m still learning,” Lashley readily acknowledged. “In my last
fight [a unanimous decision victory over Jason Guida
on March 21] I made the mistake of letting my opponent get under my
skin, especially after he ran his mouth. Instead of focusing on
executing my game plan and doing what I do best, I focused on
hurting the man. MMA is sort of like professional wrestling, in
that the key to success isn’t actually hurting your opponent – but
focusing on implementing and executing your game plan. If you do
that, everything else takes care of itself. And I love training.
When I leave practice, I’m so amped-up. It’s a feeling of
euphoria.”

As Lashley continues to develop his craft, his dream of becoming an
MMA world champion remains in the forefront of his mind.

“I definitely want to fight for the XFC,” he exclaimed. “100
percent. All I’ve heard are good things about them and their
promoter, and I know they have a lot of great fighters. Hopefully
I’ll be on their next card. Meanwhile, I’m excited to be at XFC 8
this Saturday night. Card versus Connors in the main event for the
XFC featherweight world title – that should be a phenomenal fight!
It’s a golden opportunity for both men, because opportunities to
become a champion don’t come around every day. It takes so much
blood, sweat and sacrifice. Believe me… I know.”

Lashley paused briefly before continuing:

“And one day soon, I’ll be a champion again, too.”

XFC 8: “Regional Conflict” features the fastest-rising young
prospects and top emerging superstars from Tennessee, Florida,
Kentucky and North Carolina in a series of
contender-versus-contender cage fights. Tickets are now available
at the Thompson-Boling Arena box office and Tickets Unlimited
outlets, including Cat's Music, Disc Exchange, and Fye Music.

About Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC): Xtreme Fighting
Championships – better known to MMA fight fans worldwide as the XFC
– is the Southeast’s leading independent MMA promotion, and stages
the largest live shows in the entire sport this side of the UFC.
Dedicated to launching the careers of the MMA superstars of
tomorrow, the XFC’s next mega-event, XFC 8: “Regional Conflict,”
takes place on April 25 at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville,
Tennessee, and will be broadcast live on national television,
exclusively on HDNet. For more information about the XFC, please
visit www.mmaxfc.com.